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Rouen

The capital of Normandy and a popular holiday destination, Rouen
is also a centre of industry and commerce; it is the fifth largest
port in France and the closest one to Paris, split into a right and
left bank area by the River Seine.

Rouen is also one of France's most historic cities; William the
Conqueror died here in 1087 and in 1431 it was the stage for the
trial and execution of Joan of Arc. She was burned at the stake in
the Place du Vieux-Marché (the Old Marketplace); the
position is still marked by a huge bronze cross and worth visiting
while on holiday.

Allied bombing largely destroyed the city of Rouen; all of its
bridges and many of its great churches were ruined. However,
substantial investment has been focused on restoring parts of the
city to its former medieval glory. The great Cathédrale
Notre-Dame, immortalised by Monet, remained fairly unscathed and is
well worth a visit for its wonderful stonework. An especially
interesting Rouen holiday attraction is the Chapelle de la Vierge,
where the heart of Richard the Lion-Heart is entombed as a token of
his affection for the people of Rouen. The chapel also contains the
Renaissance tombs of the cardinals d'Amboise.

Dozens of churches and some fine museums can be explored
including the Musée des Beaux-Art, which is one of France's
best provincial museums and includes the works of great French
artists such as Veronese, Velasquez, Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin,
Fragonard and Monet (including several versions of his Rouen
Cathedral).